How High Can a Garden Fence Be Without Planning Permission?

In England you can put up a garden fence, wall or gate up to 2 metres high without planning permission. If it is next to a highway used by vehicles, or the footpath of one, the limit is 1 metre. Those limits come from householder permitted development rights, and they include anything fixed on top of the fence, such as trellis.

The 2 metre rule

Most back garden fences are built to about 1.8m, because standard fence panels and featheredge boards come in that height and a 150mm gravel board underneath brings the total to around 1.95m. That keeps the fence just inside the 2m permitted development limit.

The rule covers fences, walls and gates, and also covers raising or altering an existing one. If you want to go higher than 2m anywhere on your boundary, you need a planning application. The Planning Portal guidance on fences, gates and garden walls sets out the rules in full.

The 1 metre rule next to a road

Where a fence, wall or gate is adjacent to a highway used by vehicular traffic, or the footpath of such a highway, it can only be 1m high without permission. In practice that means most front garden boundaries along a road, and the side boundaries of corner plots that face a road.

This is the rule people most often get caught by. A 1.8m fence along the side of a corner house, facing the street, needs planning permission even though the same fence in a back garden would not. Councils do grant these, particularly where the fence is set back or softened with planting, but you need to apply first.

A footpath or alley with no vehicle access doesn't trigger the 1m limit on its own, so a back garden fence along a rear pedestrian alley can usually go to 2m.

Does trellis count towards fence height?

Yes. Trellis, toppers and any other addition fixed to the fence count towards the total height. A 1.8m fence with 300mm of trellis on top is 2.1m, which is over the limit.

The usual solution is a 1.5m fence with 300mm trellis on top, which gives the same total height as a solid 1.8m fence but with a lighter look and something for climbers to grow on. Plants growing up a fence don't count, and hedges aren't covered by these rules (though very high evergreen hedges can be dealt with under the high hedges regime).

How is fence height measured?

Height is measured from the natural ground level. Where the ground is flat, that's simple. On sloping ground, the height is measured from the ground next to each part of the fence, so a fence that steps down a slope can stay within 2m at every point.

It gets less straightforward where the ground is at different levels on each side of the boundary, for example where one garden has been built up. Councils don't all measure it the same way in that situation, so if the fence will be close to 2m on the lower side, ask the council before you build.

When you need planning permission for a fence of any height

Permitted development rights don't apply everywhere. You're likely to need permission, or consent, if:

• the house is listed, the fence is within the grounds of a listed building, or the boundary adjoins a neighbouring listed building or its grounds;

• the property is in an area with an Article 4 direction that removes fence rights;

• the house is on an estate with planning conditions keeping front gardens open-plan;

• an existing fence is already over the limit and you want to raise it further.

Being in a conservation area doesn't remove fence rights on its own, but demolishing or altering a boundary wall there may need permission. If in doubt, your council's planning department will tell you.

Neighbour disputes about fence height

A fence can be lawful and still upset a neighbour. Before building a tall fence, it's worth agreeing the line and height with them, particularly if it will shade their garden. Knowing whose fence it is also matters. Our guide to which fence is yours explains how to check your deeds.

When we quote for fencing and gates in Kettering, we check the height rules for each run of fence before we order materials, particularly on corner plots and front boundaries.

Fence height questions, answered

Can my neighbour put up a fence higher than 2 metres?

Not without planning permission. If they have, you can report it to the council's planning enforcement team.

Do I need permission to put a fence on top of a wall?

The combined height of wall and fence counts, so the same 2m (or 1m next to a road) limit applies to the total.

Is a 6ft fence legal?

Yes. A 6ft (1.83m) fence is within the 2m limit, as long as it isn't next to a road used by vehicles.

We build fences, gates and garden walls to the right height for each boundary across Kettering and Northamptonshire, often alongside new decking or patios. Get in touch if you'd like us to take a look.